Monthly Archives: May 2011

EUGENE, OR - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. and Angela Reynolds have joined forces to deliver Brigantine, New Jersey home seekers with a thorough and dynamic online real estate resource. As a member of the South Jersey Shore MLS (SJSRMLS), Reynolds has long had access to thousands of area property listings. Her IDX solution now affords potential buyers the same level of access to SJSRMLS listings that was once only reserved for agents and brokers, simplifying the online home search for all parties. IDX Broker software has upgraded the search capabilities of the website of Reynolds, making the online real estate search quick, efficient and effective.

DANIA, FL - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The program is titled "Current and Future Trends," and Jim Dieter, executive vice president of Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., who heads the firm's National Industrial brokerage platform will bring his expertise in that sector to address NAIOP South Florida's May Chapter Meeting. The event is slated for 11:30 a.m. on May 26, 2011, at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport.

Torrance, CA - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The University of Southern California Ross Minority Program in Real Estate, a professional training program that teaches real estate fundamentals to individuals interested in creating positive change in emerging communities, is still accepting applications for its summer session that begins June 9.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties increased to a seasonally adjusted rate of 8.32 percent of all loans outstanding as of the end of the first quarter of 2011, an increase of seven basis points from the fourth quarter of 2010, and a decrease of 174 basis points from one year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) National Delinquency Survey. The non-seasonally adjusted delinquency rate decreased 117 basis points to 7.79 percent this quarter from 8.96 percent last quarter.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- David H. Stevens, President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) issued the statement below in response to the public release of new prototype mortgage disclosure forms required under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act (RESPA).

New York, NY - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- GFI Mortgage Bankers, one of the largest independent mortgage banking firms based in New York, announces its selection as the preferred lender for condo buyers of Kirkman Lofts. A former soap factory, Kirkman Lofts is located in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn, NY and is a 45-unit condo building with a mix of one, two, three and four bedroom units. The building maintains the original aesthetic from its former days as a factory keeping the original steel silos for the entrance to each unit as well as the industrial windows and the brick façade.

Phoenix, AZ - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The admonition, “Go west, young man!” was taken to heart by William Shirley Fulton from his Waterbury, Connecticut home and lucrative manufacturing business. 1600 acres sprawling amidst the desolate beauty of Texas Canyon in Cochise County, Arizona was Fulton’s find, becoming home and investment. The Amerind Foundation became the passion of Fulton’s life as he established it in 1937. Fulton’s life and accomplishments are more than his personal and family legacy; they function as a primer on how to survive and thrive in today’s economic domestic climate. The Amerind Foundation in its structure, organization, scope of work and active research and programs well illustrates the vitality of contemporary non-profit practice in America.

Washington, DC - May 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Existing-home sales slipped in April, although the market has managed six gains in the past nine months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Existing-home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, eased 0.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.05 million in April from a downwardly revised 5.09 million in March, and are 12.9 percent below a 5.80 million pace in April 2010; sales surged in April and May of 2010 in response to the home buyer tax credit.

Albany, NY - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that their legislation to prevent a massive rate hike on New York City energy customers has passed the Legislature unanimously in both houses.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, today hailed the start of a process by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to harmonize and streamline mortgage disclosure forms required under the Truth in Lending Act and the Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act.<

New York, NY - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a transaction completed today, 280 Park Avenue equity partners Broadway Partners and Investcorp have executed a recapitalization agreement with mezzanine debt holders SL Green Realty Corp (NYSE: SLG) and Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO). The transaction merges the parties' respective equity and debt positions to form a new ownership structure for the Class A office property and includes funding for an approximate $150 million repositioning and re-tenanting program

WEST ORANGE, N.J. - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Industrial and Office Real Estate Brokers Association of the New York Metropolitan Area Inc. (IOREBA) will host the 2011 Jeffrey Siegel Memorial IOREBA 42nd Annual Golf and Tennis Outing on Monday, June 13, at the Essex County Country Club in West Orange.

ROCKVILLE, MD - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT) and Zipcar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIP) today announced a new program to provide patrons in Washington, D.C. and the metropolitan area access to the world’s leading car-sharing network from the Trust’s shopping centers. The cost-effective and convenient transportation amenity is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to members of the community, ages 21 and older

OWENSBORO, KY - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Steve Beshear today presented funding for energy efficiency updates and state homeland security grants in Daviess County. A $58,800 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) ...

San Francisco, CA - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Edwin M. Lee today introduced a proposed $248 million bond measure for the November 2011 ballot that will repave streets and eliminate potholes in neighborhoods throughout San Francisco and seismically strengthen and repair deteriorating bridges, overpasses and staircases, all without raising property tax rates and subject to independent oversight and regular audits. Recommended as part of the citywide Ten-Year Capital Plan to improve and invest in the City’s infrastructure, the Road Repaving & Street Safety Bond will also improve streetscapes for pedestrian and bicyclist safety, improve traffic flow on local streets and install sidewalk and curb ramps to meet the City’s obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The measure is co-sponsored by Supervisors David Chiu and Scott Weiner with Supervisors John Avalos, David Campos, Eric Mar, and Ross Mirkarimi also signing on.

PALM DESERT, CA - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of Coachella Valley existing homes jumped about 12 percent in February, rebounding from slower sales January, The California Desert Association of REALTORS® reported today

WASHINGTON, DC - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced the Know Before You Owe project, an effort to combine two federally required mortgage disclosures into a single, simpler form that makes the costs and risks of the loan clear and allows consumers to comparison shop for the best offer

Washington, DC - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. continues to remain a top destination for foreign buyers as international purchases surged by $16 billion this year, one of the highest increases in recent years.

Phoenix, AZ - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In step with national economic growth, the outlook for the Phoenix industrial market continues to improve. Nationwide blue-collar sectors expanded by 1% over the past two quarters, the greatest six-month gain since mid-2006. Moreover, both manufacturing production and new factory orders increased for more than 21 consecutive months through March.

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Another bank-owned building, another auction: a common story in the Las Vegas area. So what makes this auction different? It is conducted entirely online, as have many hundreds of other successful auctions on the Freedom Realty Exchange®, the global online real estate auction marketplace.

May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Celebrity couple Katy Perry and Russell Brand have decided to sell their luxury Los Angeles home after living in the property for just two years. The couple, who married in October last year, have put their 1922 Mediterranean style property on the market for US$3.395 million. The house comes complete with a three car garage, four bedrooms, a swimming pool and views over Los Angeles

WASHINGTON, DC - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of South Dakota and provide support to homeowners and low-income r...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications increased 7.8 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 13, 2011. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 7.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 7.1 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 13.2 percent from the previous week and is at its highest level since the week ending December 10, 2010. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 3.2 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 3.3 percent compared with the previous week and was 1.7 percent lower than the same week one year ago

Chicago, IL - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A number of RE/MAX firms in the Northern Illinois real estate market, each of which is independently owned and operated, were recently spotlighted in one of the nation’s most prestigious surveys of real estate company productivity -- Real Trends 500. The 2011 Real Trends 500, an annual report from Real Trends magazine, ranks the 500 most successful residential firms by closed transaction sides and closed sales volume. Rankings are determined by applications received. This year, 501 firms qualified based on transaction volume due to a tie for the final spot.

Las Vegas, NV - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lori Ballen, Team Leader for The Ballen Group, is diligent about hiring the right talent for her team. With Richard Ballen leading the listing team, Lori is able to focus now on expanding the home buyers and investment divisions. "Our recent move to Keller Williams Realty Las Vegas has allowed us more freedom and motivation to build. An expansion that includes the right agents, and with the proper guidance, will allow us to work with more first time home buyers, investors, military relocations, and so on.”

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - May 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mark Lucescu, President of Lucescu Realty, one of the most active real estate investment brokerage firms in the U.S., announced today that the firm has closed, or currently has in escrow, approximately $500 million in retail property transactions and has opened a new office in Las Vegas to better serve its clients. Lucescu Realty most recently represented separate sellers, and procured the buyers, in the sale of Park West Place, a 757,000 sq. ft. power center in Stockton, Calif., which was acquired for $92.5 million; and Gilroy Crossing, a 474,000 sq. ft. power center in Gilroy, Calif., which was acquired for $68.5 million.

AUSTIN, TX - May 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Keller Williams Realty, Inc. announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Old Republic Home Protection to offer a variety of services to the company’s associates and their clients.

Raleigh: - May 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Winston-Salem foreclosure rescue operation that targeted financially distressed homeowners with claims to help them save their homes from foreclosure is barred from collecting any money from consumers for foreclosure assistance or loan modifications, Attorney General Roy Cooper announced.

May 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Loudoun County Treasurer H. Roger Zurn Jr. reminds taxpayers that the deadline for payment of the first half business tangible personal property tax is Monday, June 6, 2011.

Mt. Laurel, NJ - May 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- MAMCO Property Management, an Associa company, is pleased to announce that is has expanded its already diverse New Jersey client base and will now offer full management services to Kings Crossing Townhomes and financial management for the Meadows at Greentree.